Montana junior point guard Ceylon Elgin-Taylor has been named Grizzly Journal MVP for his clutch play over the final 1:13 of play in the Grizzlies’ 76-69 win at Sacramento State on Saturday.
The recognition covers Montana’s first Big Sky Conference road trip on which the Grizzlies went 1-2. In all three road contests, the Grizzlies led midway through the second half; by margins of seven at Montana State, by 12 at Northern Arizona and by 11 at Sacramento State.
Elgin-Taylor’s clutch free throw shooting down the stretch spelled the difference in Montana’s lone victory of the road trip
With Montana leading 67-60 at the 1:13 mark in the game, Elgin-Taylor made one of two free throws to stretch the Grizzlies lead to eight. He gave the Griz another 8-point lead (69-61) with 1:04 remaining in the game, setting the stage for a the final one-minute of play,
Elgin-Taylor was trapped and fouled three times within the final 52 seconds of play by Hornet defenders. All three times, at 52 seconds, at 38 seconds, and finally with 29 seconds remaining, Elgin-Taylor sank both free throws (six total) to keep the Hornets at bay.
Seconds after his final free throw, Elgin-Taylor blocked a Sac State field goal attempt, preserving a six-point Montana lead and the eventual seven-point Griz win.
Over the three-game span, Elgin-Taylor made a total of 18 points, had a plus ratio in assists-to-turnovers (12-9), and had three blocks.
“The junior college transfer is making strides with each game in his role as Grizzly point guard.
Montana’s first home-game of the year is this Thursday, Jan. 17, when the Grizzlies host the Idaho State Bengals, which are 2-1 in conference play. The Bengals split games at home last week, edging Eastern Washington 58-56 and dropping a 10-point 71-61 decision to Portland State.
